SAN FRANCISCO – Eight is not enough. The Broncos must get back to where they belong in the Big Bowl next season in California.

 It’s 10 years and a day after the Sunday when Nickie’s Bar in the flower-power area of Haight-Ashbury affectionately called “Hashbury” was jumping and jacking with football fanatics wearing C.J. Anderson “22” and Von Miller “58″ jerseys, swilling beer, smoking marijuana and shrill shouts for their Denver Broncos to win Super Bowl 50.

“That’s a game I’ll never ever forget,’’ Broncos running back C.J. Anderson told me Thursday at the convention center in the Bay Area where he currently is a high school head coach. He produced 100 yards of offense and a touchdown run in the victorious Super Bowl game a decade ago.

“Best day of my career, best day of my life,’’ Broncos linebacker and All-Pro Von Miller said three days ago in Northern California. He was sensational with five tackles and a pair of game-changing forced fumbles that earned him the MVP award.

“We were convincingly the champions of the world,’’ Broncos safety T.J. Ward said Friday in downtown San Francisco. He was involved in seven tackles and intercepted a pass, and nothing could be finer against Carolina.

Ten years after the Broncos beat the Panthers 24-10 in Levi’s Stadium all is quiet at Nickie’s Bar.

Back in Denver the season expired in bitterness and sadness when the Broncos lost the American Football Conference title game to the Patriots in a sudden snowstorm and brain-burp two Sundays ago.

In a rather dominant Super Bowl, the Seahawks, as expected, defeated the Patriots 29-13. With a healthy Bo Nix, the Broncos would have made it a game and had a chance to win. 

 How do the Broncos return to a ninth Super Bowl and their fourth NFL Championship?

 They obviously have to do it before the first Super Bowl will be played in 2032 or ’33 in the new Mile High Stadium III. What about SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles next February?

 Well, the Broncos got both fortunate and unlucky in the season just ended.

 In the first two road games they lost in last-moment one- and three-point games. Then, though, they would win squeakers by 4, 2 (in London), 1, 3, 3 and 1 (overtime). They held 10 teams to fewer than 20 points in 10 regular-season games and 10 points in the AFC title game. They were lucky about so many starting quarterbacks not playing full games because of injuries, but were so unlucky when their own starting quarterback broke his ankle toward the end of the playoff game against Buffalo.

They were very lucky and very good to be the No. 1 seed.

 What’s ahead? The Broncos will play 10 games in ’26 against ’25 playoff teams, including the two participants in the Super Bowl. They will have to play nine games next season on the road, but probably not one out of the country.

 What about the coaching staff? Unfortunately for Vance Joseph, he will be not be a head coach. Fortunately, he will return as the Broncos’ defensive coordinator. The Broncos are without three offensive coaches, but Davis Webb returns and has been elevated to coordinator. Even if he doesn’t control the offense, Webb will share planning and play-calling responsibility with Sean Payton.

 What positions have to be solidified? Same as usual really. On offense they’ll need a tight end – Isaiah Likely; wide receiver – Alec Pierce; and running back – Breece Hall. Defensively, the Broncos should sign another inside linebacker – the exceptional Devin Lloyd.

 In the draft, with a pick buried deep in the first round, the Broncos should select left tackle Caleb Lomu from the University of Utah. The Broncos scored in 2017 by drafting Utes left tackle Garett Bolles.

Jarrett Stidham is done in Denver. He had his chance and failed. The Broncos will bring in a new No. 2. One possibility is Marcus Mariota, a former starter who played recently against the Broncos for the Commanders, and another idea is to recall Zach Wilson, who was here before and barely spit a drop last season on the Dolphins.

Free agents desire to play in Denver because of the team’s ’25 success, Bo Nix and, yes, the completion of the new facility complex at Dove Valley. The franchise has cap money at last and a positive future.

The Broncos are on the cusp of being Super again.